The international community has already witnessed the brutality of the military junta, which has gunned down peaceful protesters on streets and innocent civilians including children in their homes. But there is another atrocity many have overlooked: vehicle-ramming attacks on protesters. Over the past 10 months, Min Aung Hlaing’s soldiers have committed such attacks—acts so cowardly, loathsome and inhumane they have rarely ever been seen even in other countries rules by dictators—19 times. The most recent attack occurred on Sunday, when junta forces drove into a group of anti-regime protesters from behind in Yangon’s Kyimyindaing Township, killing four people.
A legal expert said ramming or shooting a person to death for participating in an unauthorized protest—an offense carrying a maximum penalty of one year in prison—amounted to extrajudicial and disproportionate punishment. Whether it is done by a soldier or a law enforcement officer ostensibly for the purpose of upholding the rule of law, such an act is clearly illegal and amounts to murder, he remarked.
Below, The Irrawaddy has compiled a chronology detailing when and where regime soldiers have committed this evil act, based on records of the parallel National Unity Government and People’s Spring, which has been documenting the people’s revolution against the regime.
December 5
At least four people were feared killed, according to witnesses, after Myanmar security forces in a car rammed into an anti-coup protest in Yangon’s Kyimyindaing Township. Dozens were injured and arrested as junta soldiers also fired shots and beat the protesters. Foreign embassies in Myanmar and international agencies have condemned the regime for the violence.
Even after the world saw the video that shows the military vehicle accelerating down the street and crashing into the protesters, the regime said it acted in line with rules and regulations to stop the unlawful protest, and that only three people were injured. In the wake of the violence, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing visited National League for Democracy (NLD) patron U Tin Oo and former military intelligence chief Khin Nyunt in Yangon.
October 18
Ten protesters were detained and around 20 were injured when security forces rammed a car into some 60 young protesters in Mandalay’s Maha Aung Myay Township. Junta soldiers in plain clothes kicked and beat the protesters with rifle butts.
October 2
Security forces rammed a car into prominent LGBTQ rights advocate and charity worker Sue Sha Shinn Thant, who had also participated in anti-regime protests, while she was riding a motorbike in downtown Mandalay. The regime briefly detained the transgender woman at a police station for interrogation before sending her to Obo Prison.
Buddhist monks protesting against military rule were rammed by a junta vehicle, and five monks and three protesters were detained.
September 11
A protester was killed and two were arrested when security forces in a car rammed into protesters riding their motorbikes in a convoy in Mandalay’s Chanayethazan Township.
June 16
Dozens of protesters were injured in Mandalay as their motorbikes were rammed by a junta vehicle while they were gathering for the protest.
June 6
Two young people were killed in Mandalay when security forces in a car rammed their motorbike.
May 28
Security forces in a car rammed Buddhist monks protesting the military regime, detaining two monks.
May 21
Junta soldiers fired shots and used a car to ram three Kachin youths including two prominent anti-war activists, Lum Zawng and Seng Nu Pan, in Kachin State’s capital, Myitkyina.
May 17
At least seven protesters were detained after Myanmar security forces in a car rammed into an anti-coup protest in Dawei, the capital of Tanintharyi Region.
May 10
Junta forces used a private car to ram into an anti-regime protest in Dawei, detaining at least 15 people.
May 6
A rider was killed when a junta vehicle ran down his motorcycle in Chaungzon Township, Mon State.
May 2
At least four people including women were detained after junta soldiers rammed a car into an anti-regime protest in Shwebo, Sagaing Region. Junta soldiers seized the motorbikes of protesters.
April 29
Security forces detained three Yadanabon University students who had returned from an anti-regime protest in Mandalay, after ramming a car into them.
April 19
Eleven protesters were detained after a junta vehicle ran into an anti-regime rally in Chanmyathazi Township, Mandalay.
April 15
Ko Wai Moe Naing, a prominent anti-regime protest leader in Sagaing Region’s Monywa, was detained after regime forces drove a large vehicle head-on into a group of motor scooters carrying him and other anti-regime protesters. After being violently knocked to the ground, the 26-year-old was beaten and dragged away. He is one of the founders of the Monywa University Students Union.
March 21
Security forces drove a car into two young activists, Ko Nyi Nyi and Ko Aung Khant Min, who had returned from an anti-regime protest in Shan State’s Nawnghkio. The two were beaten and dragged away.
March 8
Two protesters including a woman were seriously injured when junta forces drove a vehicle into motorbike-riding anti-regime protesters in Mandalay’s Chanmyathazi Township.
February 27
Junta soldiers in a car rammed into an anti-regime protester in Myeik, Tanintharyi Region in order to apprehend and detain him.
Sources: National Unity Government’s statement on the regime’s vehicle-ramming attacks; records of regime vehicle-ramming attacks on peaceful protesters since the coup compiled by People’s Spring
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